[Plea for more attention to the importance of gender during medical training].
Gender is an important factor in disease and health. Male and female patients with the same disease may present with different complaints. This is especially true in cardiology. Basic medical training should specifically address this topic. Moreover, the gender of the physician is an important factor in patient care. Physicians are unaware of the influence of their gender on their performance. Reflective practice is an essential educational tool in modern specialist training. As medical specialist training in The Netherlands is being modernized at present, this may be the perfect time for physicians to become aware of their gender and its impact on their performance. This will improve medical care for both male and female patients by male and female doctors.
de Kroon
C D
CD
HagaZiekenhuis, Sportlaan 600, 2566 MJ Den Haag. cordekroon@planet.nl
Scheele
F
F
D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011787:Quality of Health Care